I learned long ago that dedication and empathy are the cornerstones of life. My mother, Klara, was instrumental in teaching me that lesson. She raised me all on her own in Soviet Russia, sometimes working two jobs to support me. As a journalist, she introduced me to exciting people and interesting cultures from an early age. An optimistic and giving person, my mom instilled in me a strong work ethic and an appreciation for self-improvement. She taught me to care for others and to go above and beyond for my family and for those around me.

One way I did that was by helping to coordinate property exchanges for families who were looking to move. One family might need to get a bigger house, while the other was looking for a smaller home. Another pair might be looking to move across town. I helped them all to line up these exchanges and make their swaps on the same day! Though it wasn’t even my job back then, I found great joy in helping those people get what they needed.

In 1988, my husband Igor and I emigrated to the United States, along with our two children and my mother. America was a much safer place, and provided greater opportunity for us, but it still wasn’t an easy transition. We had to leave everything behind, and we only had $90 per person when we arrived. Starting from nothing, we worked hard just to survive. Fortunately, I already knew English, but most of it was reading and writing, and I wasn’t very good conversationally. For the first year, I had to translate back and forth in my head!



Like a lot of other immigrants, we looked into real estate as a way to invest and build some wealth. From the moment we arrived, we saved up all our pennies, and by that fall, we managed to make a down payment on a home. Igor and I settled in Fremont with our daughters and my mother. I took a position with American President Lines, a shipping company, where I began translating shipping tariffs into the computer language.

I spent ten years there, and advanced within the company by doing the things that needed to be done, even if it wasn’t my job. That dedication enabled me to later move into financial systems, Asia support, and logistics, as well as optimizing supply chains for customers. With APL, I traveled all around the world, dealing with people from many different cultures.



Following my time with APL, I spent three years working for a couple different companies in the software industry, including some time spent running my own consulting business. But by the early 2000s, I had become exhausted with the corporate world, and I wanted to do something new. The housing market was booming at the time, and that prompted me to get into real estate.

Real estate has proven to be the most satisfying place for me. It not only provides an outlet for my determination and drive, but it also lets me develop amazing long-term relationships with people, finding success of my own by helping them to achieve their dreams.




I would love nothing more than to lend my knowledge and experience toward helping you with your real estate endeavors, but I don’t expect your business simply because of our relationship—I only ask that you take the time to interview me and see if I might be the best agent for you.

Buying or selling real estate is often an enormously important transaction, and the representation you receive from your agent can have significant impact on your results. I want you to pick the agent that’s the right fit for your particular needs. If that person ends up being me, I promise to work diligently to exceed your expectations.

Thank you for taking the time to learn about me. When you or someone you know is in need of a real estate agent, I hope you give me the opportunity to demonstrate my services and interview for the job.





Sincerely,

Helen Ivanov
REALTOR®

Contact Info
Helen Ivanov
REALTORĀ®

DRE#: 01347008


Direct: (925) 997-1994

Broker
Keller Williams Luxury Homes International
760 Camino Ramon Suite 200, Danville, CA 94526
CalBRE License Number: 01359403